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Looking to build a modular gaming board of 1' x 1' sections, and am having issues of how to do this nicely.

This weekend I am building a game table framework with raised edges, slightly larger than 4x6 by maybe and eighth inch on each side, to fit the modular pieces within nicely.

The part I've been thinking about that is difficult is the following.....

I'm thinking of building the sections out of pink foam mounted on mdf board. But I want everything to fit snugly together (i.e. no spaces on the top of the board). With the mdf that is no problem, I can have it cut at the local Home Depot to the exact size needed.

What about the foam though? Using an exacto to cut the foam by hand will be extremely iffy on making sure the lines are straight and at a 90 degree angle.

Anyone had experience with this before? Any way to ensure foam is cut nice and straight, without having a circular saw or some other device?

I make a good deep cut into the foam and put it over the edge of a table add give it a good hit. Breaks off very square.

 zammerak wrote:
I make a good deep cut into the foam and put it over the edge of a table add give it a good hit. Breaks off very square.

I've tried that, but it always seems to leave these wavy lines of extra thickness/thiness along the break.

Have access to a bandsaw? If not, you can sandwich the foam between two pieces of MDF and use those as an edge to cut with a saw. Get an open bladed (like a wood saw, not like a hacksaw) saw with teeth somewhere between a woodsaw and a hacksaw (too fine and the foam will grip, too coarse and it will tear, and you'll also cut/roughen the MDF) and cut it that way.

Cutting it using the MDF pieces you get back from Home Depot is a good idea as well since that way you make sure they are the same size. More accurate than cutting two separate materials in two different ways to measurements made to differing degrees of accuracy.

Make sure you check the MDF you get back from Home Depot as well - they are unlikely to cut it to much better than a couple of millimetres tolerance. The best you can hope for is consistency.

If you need accurate pieces of MDF cut, try calling up a cabinet maker. They'll do it pretty cheaply, depending on how much you are getting, and will be much more accurate than Home Depot.

When working with multiple pieces of different materials, try and build error-checking into your production method, so you're not relying on a whole bunch of pieces to just come together perfectly.

majendie wrote:
Have access to a bandsaw? If not, you can sandwich the foam between two pieces of MDF and use those as an edge to cut with a saw. Get an open bladed (like a wood saw, not like a hacksaw) saw with teeth somewhere between a woodsaw and a hacksaw (too fine and the foam will grip, too coarse and it will tear, and you'll also cut/roughen the MDF) and cut it that way.

Cutting it using the MDF pieces you get back from Home Depot is a good idea as well since that way you make sure they are the same size. More accurate than cutting two separate materials in two different ways to measurements made to differing degrees of accuracy.

Make sure you check the MDF you get back from Home Depot as well - they are unlikely to cut it to much better than a couple of millimetres tolerance. The best you can hope for is consistency.

If you need accurate pieces of MDF cut, try calling up a cabinet maker. They'll do it pretty cheaply, depending on how much you are getting, and will be much more accurate than Home Depot.

When working with multiple pieces of different materials, try and build error-checking into your production method, so you're not relying on a whole bunch of pieces to just come together perfectly.

Thanks for the advice!

Yeah I used to work in the woodworking area at Home Depot and ran the saw myself. Was all over making sure the cuts are pinpoint accurate, but most people that work there are inexperienced and don't care.

Also, they sadly won't cut foam there (at least at the couple locations I've been to).

My father is a woodworker and could probably do it for me, but I like to get this stuff done myself when possible

Might have to try the sandwhiching idea, just hope it's accurate enough!

tremulant wrote:

Thanks for the advice!

Yeah I used to work in the woodworking area at Home Depot and ran the saw myself. Was all over making sure the cuts are pinpoint accurate, but most people that work there are inexperienced and don't care.

Also, they sadly won't cut foam there (at least at the couple locations I've been to).

My father is a woodworker and could probably do it for me, but I like to get this stuff done myself when possible

Might have to try the sandwhiching idea, just hope it's accurate enough!

If you attach the MDF to the foam tightly somehow (depends on your setup exactly how to go about this) it should be pretty tightly accurate, especially with wood top and bottom.

If your dad is a woodworker, he probably has a bandsaw. That's going to be your best bet, and if he has the right blades for it I would use the same set up on the saw to cut both the foam and the MDF - leave the guide in place and cut each material using the same one, that way you'll get them the same. Keep in mind though that the materials will also bend, flex and expand at different rates. Make sure they're bonded very evenly so they don't screw with each other.

I made 2 x 2 pieces when I created my board, I love how it came out. Followed a design I saw on the web.

For you:

1" square dowels
1" white insulation foam
drywall spackle
MDF 1/4"

Cut the square dowels, in your case 11" length each

Make perfect 12"x12" square frames

Attach mdf to square frame, use router bit or hand file to smooth the edges if present. this will be the bottom of your tile

Cut white foam to 10"x10" pieces, glue that into your frame, its ok if there is slight gap between 1" dowel frame and 10x10 styrofoam

Lay and sand layers of spackle until desired smooth transition between inner styrofoam and wooden border (you can also add effects like a brick pattern or rocky patch at this point with the spackle)

Glue top of board, add sand, prime, paint, play

Its a bit of work, but they last, the edges are all wood so there is much less wear than foam. The edges are perfectly straight too so the seams between tiles are as best as possible
My two cents

 Fabu00 wrote:
I made 2 x 2 pieces when I created my board, I love how it came out. Followed a design I saw on the web.

For you:

1" square dowels
1" white insulation foam
drywall spackle
MDF 1/4"

Cut the square dowels, in your case 11" length each

Make perfect 12"x12" square frames

Attach mdf to square frame, use router bit or hand file to smooth the edges if present. this will be the bottom of your tile

Cut white foam to 10"x10" pieces, glue that into your frame, its ok if there is slight gap between 1" dowel frame and 10x10 styrofoam

Lay and sand layers of spackle until desired smooth transition between inner styrofoam and wooden border (you can also add effects like a brick pattern or rocky patch at this point with the spackle)

Glue top of board, add sand, prime, paint, play

Its a bit of work, but they last, the edges are all wood so there is much less wear than foam. The edges are perfectly straight too so the seams between tiles are as best as possible
My two cents

Kind of confused by how this works and why the foam is only 10''x10''. I'll be cutting into the foam to design the board, so the whole top needs to be just foam. Do you have a linky to the guide you saw by any chance?

Thanks man

The foam is 10"x10" because it sits inside a 12"x12" wood frame, and the wood is 1" thick, so you subtract the top and bottom to get 10, left and right, to get 10...
I know i may not be explaining it sharp. I could not find the exact link but I found this which illustrates what I mean in pictures:

http://montys-caravan.blogspot.com/2013/01/tutorial-modular-gaming-board-part-1.html

Good luck =)

In this picture you an see the MDF base underneath it all, the wood frame surrounding, and the styrofoam within.

It's nice because if you wanted to dig trenches for example, you have that inch to play with, so the trenches can really be beneath the level of the board.

 Fabu00 wrote:
In this picture you an see the MDF base underneath it all, the wood frame surrounding, and the styrofoam within.

It's nice because if you wanted to dig trenches for example, you have that inch to play with, so the trenches can really be beneath the level of the board.

Ooh - this is a great idea. I might do this myself. But with super thick foam! Super thick!!!

Depth in tables is much cooler than height.